Memento Mori
by sensitive touchdown
Summary: AU: One day, a grim reaper appears in Allen Walker's wrecked life. As a one last gift from Fate, Tyki Mikk will grant all of Allen's wishes... for a high price. "Your life starts now." YAOI: YULLEN.
1. Respice Finem

**M**emento Mori

Warnings: Typos. Explicit yaoi (p0rn!) and some violence. Bad language.  
Pairings: Kanda x Allen, Tyki x Allen  
A/N: I know I should start writing in third person point of view, but gahh, I just love first person pov!

-

1. Respice Finem

_It seems fate's fatal grip around my neck was tighter than I had ever thought._

"Your life starts now."

Before hearing those words, I had never really thought of life. I took it for granted and never even thought of stopping to think _when_ or how exactly life happens. But as I stared down the barrel of forty-five caliber gun, I suppose it was only natural to look back at the eighteen long years I had lived.

Everyone always told me how I should think more of the God and the afterlife. But I had stopped believing in a god as they described it, since in their eyes I was an incurable sinner no matter how long I prayed for some sort of salvation.

The gun moved from my mouth and brushed a strand of white hair away from my eyes. I must have looked like a goldfish— opening and closing my mouth without being able to utter one word. Of course my brain was acting more than usual, recalling all stupid movie lines and famous last words, which all seemed too cliché to be used in such a situation.

"Are you mute or has this dump totally wrecked your brain?" The man put the gun away, which made me feel little relieved. But only little.

Right. The dump he meant was my college dorm room, which really did look more like a dump site than a student's room. Had I known someone was coming, I would have at least hidden the dirty laundry, but it was too late now. However, the reason of his arrival was still unclear to me, but I was sure that I wasn't supposed to ask any questions.

The man was older than me, but I wasn't sure how much. He had curly deep black hair, which was neatly pulled against his scalp and the curls of his hair elegantly cascaded behind his neck. He looked like an English gentleman, and spoke like one too. I also noticed how his skin was strange color of gray, almost like dark ash. On top of it all, he was wearing a black tuxedo, which oddly suited him and his overall appearance.

Finally the silence was starting to get awkward and his attention was drifting away from me, so I found the courage to speak up, "Erm… excuse me, but who are you?"

"It depends how you want to look at it. Right now I might be something completely different than what I will be in a week."

"Oh. Alright." When I was sure he had put his gun away I dared to offer him my hand, "Well, my name is Allen Walker. It's nice to mee—…"

"Yes, I know who you are. Allen Walker, eighteen years, two months and four days old. Your blood type is O and you come from Britain. Your blood relatives are unknown to you, but you were raised by a pierrot named Mana Walker, who passed away recently." The man spat out details of my life as if they had been written on my forehead. But he simply smiled and politely shook my outstretched hand, "I also know that you like to eat and you're great at playing cards, for you have marvelous cheating skills."

_Is he a stalker?_ It was unlikely that such a handsome man would stalk a college student around. Maybe if I had been some sort of a celebrity or a cheerleader or a jock, who actually would be interesting.

I was simply Allen Walker. Uncategorized college student with zero motivation.

"Stop thinking. Talk— say something. There's a man with a gun in your room, I thing you ought to be begging for mercy." The dark-haired man said strictly, slowly pacing to my bed and sitting down. He folded his arms above his chest as he stared at me, waiting for me to say something.

"Uhh…" I scratched the back of my neck, wondering what I could have said. It was unusual to have visitors… or visitors, who would have actually wanted to talk with me. I sighed, "So, since you don't want to tell me who you are, can you simply tell me your name?"

"Tyki. Tyki Mikk." 'Tyki Mikk' smiled, or rather, grinned, "At your service."

He was inconsistent, barging in here with a gun and then telling me he's 'at my service'. Either he liked being that way or he had completely lost it.

As I kept thinking at his contradictious character, he had stood up once again and started to pace around my cramped room. I winced when he grabbed a pair of dirty boxers from the floor and examined them, "W-what are you doing?"

"Inspecting." He stated and threw the boxers over his shoulder and moved to my desk to check the unfinished essays I had never been able to turn in. He shook his head and let out a long breath, "Say, how long does one week sound to you?"

"Huh? How long…? Well…" I wondered if this was some kind of riddle, "If you think one week like that, it sounds short, but if you take in consideration that one week has seven days and one day consists of twenty-four hours… that way it sounds longer."

Tyki nodded his head and looked at me with a pleased expression, "Very good. Now, how much _life_ do you think you could fit in those hours?"

I blinked my eyes. That didn't sound like a proper question— life couldn't be measured the same way as hours or days. Or was life equal to time? I couldn't tell and maybe that was what Tyki was only trying to confuse me. I sighed, my own thoughts puzzling me even further.

"Ahh, well, that's your assignment for the following week." Tyki moved gradually closer to me, as if a hunting predator, "And of course, I'll be here with you, observing your each move. Today… no, tomorrow, will be the first day of the rest of your life. From tomorrow on, you'll learn what it means to _live_, you'll learn to love it so dearly that when a week has passed, you'll be sad to leave it behind."

I had been sitting on a pile of clothes, but as he came closer, I stood up and pushed my back against the wall, finding myself unable to escape. His eyes were pitch black, but I could see something minister in them. I wanted to look away, yet I was thrilled by the sight and could only gasp, "Who _are_ you? What do you mean… one week?"

He was in front of me now and he seemed even taller than before. His shadow cast over me, as he pinned me against the wall and his long fingers wrapped around my neck. My pulse was throbbing against his digits and I could almost feel as the blood poured in and out of my rapidly beating heart.

"You poor, feeble thing. I am the last gift from Fate and I shall give you everything you ever wanted, so that your death would not be meaningless." Tyki's voice was gentle, but the minister glow in his eyes remained. He took out his gun again and this time he pressed it against my chin, the cold metal felt soothing against my flushed skin.

"For in one week, _you will die_."

Die? _Die?_ I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. A man with a gun told me I will die in a week, even though he could have killed me right there and then.

"How… how would you know?" I asked.

"Because I'm the inevitable." His smirking face came closer, his shadow obscuring my vision, "You may look away if you wish, but the time won't stop flowing. You can't jump off the train just yet, so perhaps it'd be clever to make the most of the time you've got. You'll know the time is up when this tiny little bullet in this gun pierces your skull. Until then, I'll be looking after you."

That moment I imagined he was my conscience, telling me to grasp a hold of the life before it was too late. Perhaps 'Tyki' was merely my imagination, created by my mind to remind me that I was still young.

I let out a laugh. At least physically I was young, but mentally I felt like a hundred-year-old elder, who had seen enough of the life already.

"So you'll be following me around then?" I sighed but kept smiling bitterly.

"Yes. And I shall fulfill all of your spoken wishes. If you desire something, all you need to do is say it and I shall make it happen…" He ran the gun down my jaw and throat, as if toying with my body, "Whether it's washing your laundry, getting a revenge or even making someone fall in love with you— with my help nothing is impossible. And you don't even need to lift a finger."

"F-fall in love…?" My eyes widened momentarily and my mind strayed to the subject I'd tried to forget. _Kanda Yu_… But if I could wish for anything at all, it'd be to go back in time. I averted my gaze from the dark-haired man and looked at a picture on the wall.

_Mana…_

"Oh, I see you're already tempted to wish something." He grew amused, or I wasn't sure if he was simply proud of himself, "Just remember, you have one week, no more, no less. One and only thing you can't wish for, is for your life. Well, to be honest, you can't ask me to bring anyone else back to life either— even I have my limits."

Was it due to my mental fatigue that I was now faced by a grim reaper, who was yielding a gun instead of a scythe? It really must be something I'm merely making up in my head.

"So you want me to live the week to the fullest…" I summed up, "… so that you could kill me when the time's up. It's very… uhh… twisted."

Tyki's smirk grew even wider and he leaned in even further as he whispered into my ear, "Oh, believe me, I'll be enjoying every waking moment of this."

-

I hadn't slept well in such a long time, so as I woke up the following morning, I figured it all had been a dream. A very vivid and odd dream, which Freud would categorize as a symptom of a suppressed childhood trauma.

But then I felt someone breathe against my ear and gently touch my hip.

"Good morning, _Allen_."

"Sweet Jesus…!" I shrieked uncontrollably and I struggled away from the hand resting on my waist. The bed sheets were tangled around my legs and soon I found myself falling head first on the cold floor. The stranger in my bed laughed softly and I could hear him move when the springs inside the mattress creaked.

I hissed as I felt sharp pain spread along my spine. For a moment, I swear I was literally seeing stars until Tyki's smirking face came to view. So since he was still in my room, it must have meant that what happened last night wasn't a dream. Or I was still dreaming, whichever.

"My, you're full of enthusiasm, aren't you? Still you lead such a boring life… it's tragic." He said and easily pulled me back on the mattress. This time he wrapped his long arm around me, probably to prevent me from falling off my bed again, "Say, Allen, what do you think about fervent sex in the morning?"

"Wha— _what_?!" I started to thrash about and fortunately he loosened his grip. I stood up and gaped dumbly at him, unable to find a clever and coherent answer at first. Seriously what was this guy smoking? "No. I don't want to have sex with a stranger six o'clock in the morning."

"That's a shame, though I'm not a stranger." He sounded disappointed as he slowly moved to a sitting position, before he began to leave the bed. When the bed sheets fell down to his ankles, I realized that he wasn't wearing _anything_, except for ragged wool socks.

"Hey, would you please mind it?! Were you… _naked_ the whole time?!"

"It's ten."

"Ugh, g-go back under th— what?"

"It's ten o'clock right now, not six."

I dropped the pair of jeans I was about to put on as I turned to look at my alarm clock, which was partly buried under pizza boxes. It really was one minute past ten, which meant I was unfashionably late for school. Not that I really cared about attending classes, but if I wanted to graduate someday soon, I shouldn't ditch any more lessons.

Even though, I could probably graduate without even stepping to the school campus… when it came to me, they seemed to always make exceptions.

I cursed under my breath as I picked my jeans again and pulled them on. I almost tripped on my toothbrush when I hurried around my small dorm room, picking up my books and clothes. It had been a while since I had slept so long, but I still felt slightly drowsy.

As I rubbed my weary eyes, I accidentally almost stepped on my toothbrush, which was, for some unknown reason, lying in the middle of the floor. I swayed a little and suddenly lost my balance. I knew the fall wouldn't hurt much, but just before my back would have hit the floor, something stopped me in midair.

"Careful now." I heard Tyki's low voice right next to my ear.

I looked up at him, my back stretched in an awkward position. I forced a smile and nodded, "Yeah, I'm alright."

He helped me up on my feet and even brushed some dirt off the back of my pants. I really needed some time to get used to his behavior, in case he was here to stay.

I was still uncertain about the whole one week deal, but I didn't feel like asking any questions. It's not like it would have made much difference at this point of life whether I had a week or a year to live, especially when taking in consideration my fairly unsuccessful life. Perhaps it was merely nice to know when you die, so that you wouldn't need to live with uncertainty each day.

"I thought you were in hurry, but if you can spare some time, how about we get back in the bed and—…"

"No! I mean— I really must hurry!" I choked and shook my head.

_I really can never get used to this guy._

-

I decided to attend the health education class, which had started only five minutes before I arrived to the school. The teacher merely shrugged his shoulders as I mouthed my apology to him, before heading to an empty seat in the far end of the room. Had it been anyone else, they might have been yelled at.

I didn't bother to look any of my classmates in the eyes, but I knew they were all staring at me. I didn't need to look to confirm the mix of pity and detest in their eyes. Of course it was understandable and if I'd been one of them, I would have done exactly the same. But being in my position, it was rather awkward.

But it wasn't like they were being like that without a reason. Frankly, it was something I'd rather not reminiscence.

"How are you doing, Allen?"

The red-haired teen in front of me turned around and leaned against my desk. His other eye was covered by an eye-patch— I heard he had lost his eye in a bike accident. Lavi was his name.

"I'm fine. You?" I tried not to sound impolite.

"Yeah, fine too." He nodded his head. He almost looked like he would have wanted to continue the conversation, but then he simply turned back around with a sigh. I couldn't blame him though— had anyone known he had even tried to befriend with me, he would get a bad name as well.

I heaved a sigh. It was always awkward when people tried to come to me and talk, for it always ended the same way. Nobody ever went farther than asking 'how are you?'.

I took out my school books, which were almost unused. I knew I should start to study again and be like a good student I've always been.

Suddenly I felt a brush of warm air against my neck. I slowly turned my head and saw a familiar smirk right in front of my face.

"T-Tyki…?!" I jumped a little, but somehow managed to keep my voice down. Only one of the on the second row students gave me a brief glance, before returning their focus back at the lecture. It was odd that he wasn't surprised to see a man with a tuxedo.

"Don't worry." Tyki seemed to notice my concern and patted my head, "I'm invisible to them."

"I-Invisible…? That's crazy…" I arched my eyebrow, "And how the heck did you get here?"

"I teleported."

"Oh… teleported?" Well, that was an answer straight out of a supernatural anime. Come to think of it, the whole grim reaper thing was suitable for a comic book, not real life. I let out a small chuckle and jokingly asked, "Then how come you didn't teleport me?"

"You didn't ask me to." He replied frankly.

I looked at him skeptically. First he claims to be invisible and then being able to teleport him and others? Well, this was getting interesting at best, "…So, if I had asked, you would've teleported me?"

"Yes, of course." Tyki sat down on the floor next to me and crossed his legs, "During the following week, I'll be at your service. Don't tell me you already forgot what I told you last night?"

I hadn't forgotten, but I hadn't expected teleportation to be part of the menu. Maybe I should try it sometime, just for the fun of it. Or I should try to wish something, even though I knew it was highly unlikely that Tyki would be able to work miracles. It's not like these kinds of supernatural phenomena happened anywhere but in TV.

I stared at Tyki and noticed how beautiful he actually was. Not exactly feminine kind of beauty, but I couldn't quite categorize him as being overly masculine. He looked just as mysterious as he was.

Eventually he caught me staring at him and turned to look at me straight in the eyes, "Shouldn't you pay attention to the class?" he asked, puzzled.

"Ah…" I scratched the back of my head, "Of course."

-

I leaned my head against my knees, as I heard my stomach grumbling, echoing loudly in the empty gym hall. I hadn't remembered to eat anything this morning, much less bring money or lunch with me. I groaned in desperation, "Oh god, I wish I had brought lunch…"

"Here you go."

I looked up and saw Tyki standing in front of me, smirking and holding a boxed lunch. Could he have heard my wish and fulfilled it…? I shook my head— it must have been merely a coincidence, "T-thanks."

"You forgot to say what kind of food you wished for, but if you're not satisfied with that, I can always make you a new one."

I arched my eyebrow and quietly opened the lunch box. There were at least four different kind of triangle breads, cookies, salad and god-knows-what. I shamelessly dug in, since my angry stomach had already punished me enough for skipping the breakfast.

"So, why did you come here of all the places?" Tyki asked and looked around the school gym, "I thought you hated sports?"

"H-how'd you know that?!" I asked after swallowing a little too large bite of the triangle bread. I just liked to come here, because no one came here. Well, no one except for _him_.

Suddenly the doors opened and a dark-haired boy walked in. My heart leaped to my throat and I forgot to swallow the piece of salad in my mouth. Luckily I was sitting in a shadowy corner of the auditorium, like always, so he didn't notice me.

His footsteps echoed in the gym, as he walked across it to the other side. His long dark hair was fixed on a high ponytail, which waved behind him as he took determined steps forward. The stoic look on his face was unwavering and he seriously looked like some sort of celebrity with his endless confidence. I wasn't only mesmerized by his physical appearance, but also the silent endeavor and confidence.

"Ahh, I see. You hate the game but love the player. Whatever is the name of this lucky bloke?" Tyki smirked from ear to ear, "You know, you just need to say the word and I can make miracles happen."

"That's Kanda Yu." I answered as quietly as I could, my eyes keenly following the boy's each move.

Kanda Yu. The name that was stuck in my mind— the name I despised to the point I was ready to puke whenever I heard someone talk about him. I would have loved to punch his face in, to make him suffer like he'd never suffered before.

But as I saw him, I remembered _why_ I was unable to do so. He paralyzed me.

He grabbed a basketball from a chest and shrugged off his jacket. The ball bounced professionally by his side, as he began walking forward with ease. His tall and slim body looked perfect on the court. He was going to get far, I was certain of it.

"Allen. What do you wish for?" Suddenly Tyki had latched his arm around my waist. His lips were moving against my ear and almost seductively he caressed my thigh. My breath was caught in my throat and I could only see Kanda, while Tyki's words pierced straight to the subconscious part of my mind.

"I…" Even if I could wish for anything at all, I couldn't possibly form this wish into words. And even if I could… I don't know if I could do it.

But then again… Kanda never played fair either, so maybe this could be a payback.

"Tyki." I felt an awkward smirk creep to my features. What could be worse for Kanda Yu than losing the thing he cherished the most? They said that you can sympathize with others if you have first-hand experience.

Maybe I could make him feel the same way he made me feel. I could tear him down from the top of the highest mountain and pull him back to the unforgiving reality. If Tyki could make wishes come true, I could show him just how I felt when he smirked at me that time.

"_You are a fool." There was a horrendous smirk on that handsome face, "Don't tell me actually thought that something serious was going on between us? Do I have to spell it out for you— it was a prank._

"_They paid me a lot for that video."_

This wouldn't be revenge. This would be his wake-up call.

"Tyki… I wish… that Kanda Yu would never be able to play basketball again."

-

Author's notes: It's been a while since I wrote anything. I started writing this story spontaneously and surprisingly I was struck with an inspiration. The plot came to my mind as I kept writing and I'm sure I'll enjoy writing this one. And damn, I love the first person point of view.

Please, if you have time, do leave a review and share your thoughts. I really appreciate any kind of feedback.

Stay tuned!


	2. Deus Ex Machina

**M**emento Mori

-

2. Deus Ex Machina

I thought that Kanda was merely faking it when his tall body began to sway. I didn't think it would actually _work_.

But then Kanda collapsed in the middle of the court, the basketball bouncing alone against the wooden floor for a moment, before it silently fell by his side. I heard him groan as he held his right leg, cursing like never before.

"K-Kanda…!" I gasped and stood up. Before I could ever think of the consequences, I jumped down the auditorium and ran to him, my heart pounding rapidly in my chest.

_It actually happened_, my mind screamed at me— Tyki had actually fulfilled my wish. That weirdo was actually telling me the truth… he had been telling the truth from the beginning. But I had been too ignorant and just had to test it on _Kanda Yu_, who was now twitching in pain on the floor.

At first it felt sinfully good to see him in pain. But when I realized he was _seriously_ in great physical pain, I felt disgusted in myself. Maybe I should have come up with something more mentally torturing than this…

"Kanda! Are you alright?!" I asked as I knelt before him and tried to touch him.

"What the fuck are you doing here, beansprout?" He snapped at me and slapped my hand away. He looked at me, the pained look on his face made my heart throb painfully. I looked down at his foot and saw how it was bent unnaturally, his shinbone sticking out under his skin. I swallowed loudly and he began cussing at me, "I don't need _your_ help."

…Then again, maybe I should just leave him be. If he was going to be the arrogant bastard he always was there was no point in helping him. Therefore I got up on my feet and shrugged my shoulders, "Fair enough. Take care."

"F-fuck… H-hold it 'sprout…" He was breathing labouredly as he tried to stand up slowly and eventually managed to do so.

"You're going to make it worse." I commented, even though I knew he wouldn't listen. He never listened to anyone, not even his idiotic jock friends.

"Tch. Smartass." He grunted as he stood up on one leg. Then he suddenly collapsed forward again, slamming against me with such force that I couldn't keep my balance. I fell back first on the hard floor and Kanda in turn fell on top of me.

I moaned barely audibly as the pain spreading along my backbone and was unable to fill my lungs with air for a moment. When I regained my ability to speak, I weakly tried to shake his head, which was resting on my shoulder, "H-hey, get up!!"

"Quit groping me, idiot." Kanda spat last time, before he seemingly passed out. His heavy body fell limp against mine and even when I tried to call out his name and shake him furiously, he simply remained still.

"Great." I looked up at the ceiling and Tyki's face came into view. I frowned, "It worked."

"Of course it worked, I wouldn't lie to you. Just a reminder— I didn't lie about the one week deal either."

So in one week, I would be done for. For the time being, I had no reason to think it was a joke, since Tyki had just proven me his powers. And for the rest of my life, which was a week, I could use his powers to my advantage.

It was all starting to sink in, slowly but surely. There was almost nothing I couldn't do and I wouldn't even have the time to regret the things I've done. But of course I could use Tyki's powers to much noble purposes— donate money to charity and cure cancers.

But whatever I did, in one week… I would be dead. My life was something I couldn't wish for.

I absently hugged the body above me and listened to Kanda's shallow breathing. This might be the last time I would feel his body heat like this. Being with him like this, again, felt kind good, especially when he couldn't bitch at me. But I couldn't forget our past… and I was sure he couldn't either.

"What is it? Is it something serious?" Tyki asked, as if he'd known what I was thinking. Maybe he had some telepathic abilities too.

"Yes." I sighed, "It is something serious."

And that's end of the line. It wasn't something I would have wanted to discuss while Kanda Yu was lying on top of me.

I felt a lump in my throat, "Tyki… can you get the nurse please?"

Tyki snapped his fingers and the gym doors slammed open. The head nurse Matron rushed in, a strict look on her face. She immediately noticed us on the floor, instantly getting the wrong idea, "What do you think you are doing young men?! Such impudence! Youths these days have no decency!"

"Thanks…" I whispered to Tyki, who nodded his head.

"Anytime."

-

"Are you happy now?"

I looked at Tyki through the restroom's dirty mirror. We had managed to drag Kanda to the nurse's office with Matron and after that she ushered me out without delay.

I had to admit that part of me was feeling some sadistic pleasure from being able to hurt Kanda Yu like that. But in contrast, I felt nauseous for causing such an immobilizing injury to him. It was double-edged sword— I knew how important basketball for him was… but then again, that's why it felt so good to take it away from him.

It was so terribly easy though. With Tyki's help, my life could be so, _so_ much easier. I could have everything I had ever wanted.

But at the same time, I knew it was wrong for me to ask Tyki to immobilize Kanda, no matter how much I wanted to see him suffer. One person shouldn't be given this kind of power.

I turned to look at the grim reaper, who was intently staring back at me. He was powerful— way too powerful for someone like me to handle. Giving one person too much power gave birth to all the bad guys in comic books. If I didn't pick my words carefully, I would end up as an antagonist too… but then again, I suppose had never been the most honorable protagonist either.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" Tyki's lips twitched upward in twisted amusement, "Once you wish something, I cannot do anything but fulfill it. Please, do keep that in mind."

"You should go elsewhere or I'll definitely end up abusing your powers like I already have." I spoke quietly and turned the tap to pour some water on my palm. I splashed the cold liquid across my face, trying to get a hold of myself. I looked at Tyki through the mirror and saw how his dark eyes were piercing mine, "You're too much for me to handle."

"Silly boy, you do not wish for me to go away." Tyki reached out to brush his hand against my cheek, "I sense your uncertainty, but I'm sure your actions will be entertaining for both of us."

It was almost as if he wanted me to misuse his powers. Maybe this was how he kept himself entertained, tricking people into inhumane acts, before taking their lives.

I was about to tell him that, but the sound of door opening made me shut my mouth. I heard loud laughter and even louder footsteps, which made it easy to identify the group who walked in.

"So yeah, I heard he kicked Kanda's ass for recording their 'session'."

"Yeah, you shoulda seen his leg! It was totally broken in half!!"

"Damn, that guy is dangerous… would've never guessed he had _balls_ do to such things— he seemed damn submissive on that tape!"

I pretended not to hear their conversation and absently washed my hands. It seems word got around pretty fast and next the whole campus would be buzzing with gossips. I couldn't help but grin when I thought of Kanda hearing the rumors of me beating him up.

I tried to be as invisible as I could, but of course I didn't have any amazing ninja skills that would have prevented me from being seen. I winced when a large hand slammed against my back, knocking me against the metallic sink.

"Well, well, look who we've got here guys! Speak of the devil, it's the Allen— fucking— Walker!"

I slowly turned around and faced the group of jocks, _Kanda's friends_, who all pretty much looked the same even though I doubted they were blood-related. And seriously, these guys had more muscles than grey matter beneath their bleached hair.

"What'd do with Kanda?" The first one asked, acting tough.

I simply shook my head and shrugged my shoulders.

"Yeah, it must've been you, 'cause you were the only one there with him!" Said the second one, who wasn't the sharpest knife in the box, so to speak. He stepped closer to me with a predator like look, "But hey, Captain's not angry about it. He never really liked Kanda anyway."

And this 'Captain' would be their so-called leader of their idiotic basketball team, who seemed to have some immense power over the jocks. I didn't know him personally, heck, I didn't even know his real name, but I knew he had sick sense of humor and obsession to ruin people's lives. I'd seen him only once but by the way he kept staring at me, I thought I'd be his favorite victim.

But surprisingly, he had left me alone and let Kanda do the dirty business.

"I'm kind of in a hurry, so if you don't mind…" I tried to excuse myself, but the jock moved in front of me to block my way.

I saw Tyki standing behind him and he nodded his head, "Just say the word."

I shook my head as a reply. I wouldn't use his powers again to hurt anyone again— it wouldn't be fair. These jocks wouldn't hurt a fly unless their 'Captain' told them to, so I was sure I would be alright. I simply glared at the jock standing in my way, even though I knew my 'drop-dead'-glare wasn't too convincing.

"Ohh, scaa-_ry_. You'd better let him go, or else this lil' princess will beat you up too!" The third and the most muscular of the jocks laughed.

"Beat me up? This fairy?" The one standing in front of me rolled his eyes and came even closer, intruding my personal space. I refused to back down, so I simply tilted my head back and looked up at him. He was almost twice as big as me, vertically and horizontally. He leaned forward a little and grabbed a handful of my shirt, "No matter what the Captain says, you're a disgusting faggot."

I wrinkled my nose as I smelled his foul breath. Added to his horrible personality, I can't believe how cheerleaders could stand being close to a guy like him.

"Seriously, cut it out. Captain will kill if you do that." The two other jocks grabbed him by his arms and pulled him away from me.

I straightened my shirt and lifted my chin. I knew better than to speak up, so I merely grabbed my bag under the sink and began walking, while the jocks were holding their friend. It was always like this— whether or not I had done something, they always wanted to pick a fight, but they never got down to the hack-and-slash part. Maybe I was too thin to be their punching bag.

They were all talk and no action. Compared to them, Kanda was as if from another planet. Kanda wouldn't have let me walk away that easily.

But alas, Kanda-planet was far away from my universe.

-

Later that day I was sitting on the floor in my dorm room, eating pizza we had fetched on our way home. I wished my room to be clean again, so Tyki was in the middle of washing the laundry, while I had some time to think over what was happening.

There was a _grim reaper_ in my bathroom right now. Though he didn't seem really threatening now that he was wearing an apron and singing an unrecognizable country song, I was fairly sure this was no prank. I remember when he had pointed his gun at me— back then there was no friendliness in his eyes. He had really scared me back then.

I lied down on the floor, amazed how clean it was for once. I can't remember when was the last time I could actually see my carpet under the mess. I was lucky I didn't need to share my room with anyone.

I used to have a roommate— Bak Chan, who was few years older than me. But after he found about my sexual orientation, he begged to be transferred to another room.

Not that I really minded though. I was tired of listening to his fantasies about the student council president's sister.

"I'm done with the laundry." Tyki said as he walked out of the bathroom, taking off his apron, "Is there anything else you'd like for me to do?"

I watched as he sat down next to me and crossed his legs. I shook my head and pointed at an unopened pizza box, "Eat it. You haven't eaten anything all day."

"Silly boy, I don't need to eat. I'm not a weak mortal." Tyki laughed and ran his hand through his hair, "I don't need to sleep either, so I can only stare at your beautiful face while you sleep."

I winced, "Seriously? I'm going to sleep in the bathroom and lock the door then."

"Doors can't hold me back, cupcake." He became even more amused and suddenly climbed on top of me. I frowned when he propped his weight on his elbows and studied my face carefully, "If I wanted, I could do anything I want with you. But I'm a nice grim reaper and have my morals, so I wouldn't do that…" He moved a strand of hair out of my face, "Unless you ask me to."

I rolled my eyes and pushed him away, "Uhh, yeah, that's okay. I don't think I need your help with such things…"

"Or maybe you do…" Tyki purred and lied on the floor, when I stood up. I walked to the windowsill, in order to get some distance between us. But what he said next sent shivers down my spine, "I could make Kanda Yu fall madly in love with you, you know."

_Make Kanda Yu fall in love?_ I didn't think it was possible, for Kanda Yu simply didn't have that kind of function. He was mentally and physically unable to love anyone or anything, except for basketball.

But if he did fall in love with me… maybe I could make him feel guilty. Now that he was already crippled and lost the thing he loved the most, I could rub it in his face by making him regret what he's done to me. Maybe then he could learn to appreciate what he has and stop treating everyone like piece of trash.

…But then again, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Angry Kanda was scary enough, but Kanda in love? That would really freak me out.

I groaned and rubbed my temples when I had had enough with my mental fight against myself, "Ugh, why the heck are we talking about Kanda Yu in the first place?"

"Your hate for him is make-believe."

"What?" I arched my eyebrow. I knew he was right— my feelings toward Kanda couldn't be categorized as 'hate'. That would be way too simply and shallowly put, "Alright, you're creeping me out. You're right, I don't hate him, but I don't love him either."

"Or rather, it's easier _not to_ love him, am I correct?"

I threw my hands in the air, "Fine, fine, I surrender! Just enough with the quiz, alright?" The way he kept reading me like an open book was rather disturbing. Maybe he wasn't a mind-reader, for he hadn't asked so many questions if he had been able to read my thoughts. I think he was somehow able to sense my feelings though.

I chuckled inwardly. Here I was, analyzing a supernatural being. Seriously, when did I forget about my logic?

Suddenly someone knocked on my door. I hesitantly stood up and straightened my clothes. Tyki got up on his feet and went to sit on my bed, "Shouldn't you answer the door?"

"Uh… yeah…" I nodded my head and slowly tip-toed to the door. I put my hand on the door handle and inhaled a deep breath, before slowly opening the door. A frown was drawn on my face as I recognized the red hair and eye patch, "Lavi?"

"Yeah, hi, beansproutie!" Lavi waved his hand and cleared his throat. I winced at the way he addressed to me— no one called me beansprout, except for Kanda. But he didn't seem to notice the awkward atmosphere, as he continued casually, "Oh, you see… I forgot my keys somewhere and the janitor left already so I can't get to my room. Yu is in bitchy mood and kicked me out, so I thought that maybe…"

I arched my eyebrow, "Maybe what?" I hadn't known Kanda had friends who weren't jocks.

"Maybe I could sleep in your room tonight. I heard you don't have a roomie, so it'll be alright, right?" Lavi pretty much invited himself in, as he walked past me and dropped his school bag in the middle of the floor.

Stunned, I closed the door and looked at him. I hadn't known we were neighbors… I looked at Tyki, who snickered shamelessly, "Good luck, _beansproutie_."

"So, this is your room, huh?" Lavi held his chin and examined my room, which was shiny and polished after Tyki's cleaning operation, "I'm not bothering you, am I? Don't mind me at all, I'll just make myself at home."

I nodded my head slowly and watched as he took out his toothbrush from his bag and walked to my bathroom, closing the door behind him. Soon I could hear the water running behind the door and then he started to _sing_. Yes, sing while taking a shower.

Wow. _Awkward_.

"Interesting." Tyki grinned like a madman, "It might get a little crowded in your bed though."

"What?" I arched my eyebrow and sat down on the bed next to Tyki, "You don't _need_ sleep and he's sleeping on the floor."

There was something wrong with the picture. I hadn't had visitors in ages. No one came to my room, except for the principal who came to check on me sometimes. And how Lavi had barged in here so suddenly, without any prejudices or questions. Now that I thought about it, he never looked at me like other people did.

I shifted my gaze upon Tyki. Maybe he had something to do with this?

"No. It wasn't me."

"Huh?" I blinked my eyes, taken aback by his reply to an unanswered question, "Then why…?"

Tyki shrugged his shoulders and I knew he wasn't going to tell me the truth, "It's easier for me to understand you than anyone else."

It did make sense— he had come to kill me, he was _my_ grim reaper. Didn't that kind of mean that he was part of me? Or rather, part of my life. Death was the ultimate destination of every living creature, the end of life.

I regarded him from head to toe, with a thoughtful frown, "…Have you been here with me… all my life?"

"Yes." Tyki nodded his head, "I've been following you, since your first heartbeat. I've been growing inside of you, until the day I was ready to come out. Of course, I should have killed you now that I am fully matured and capable of filling my purpose. I learned a lot about you, when I was still growing inside of you, but when I met you in person, I couldn't take your life just yet."

"Why?" I asked and moved closer to him, dying to hear more.

"For the first time I felt the anxiety inside of you. You are restless and feel unaccomplished for all the things you've left unsaid. You have faced injustice, but I do not know when or how." I could almost swear I saw a faint, melancholic smile on his lips, "Everyone has a place in this world. You need to find yours, before you're ready to go."

I felt a lump in my throat. Did I really feel so… discriminated inside? I clutched the fabric of my shirt, right above my heart.

Suddenly, I felt so empty.

The door of the bathroom slammed open and Lavi walked out, wearing nothing but a towel, which was barely hanging around his hips.

"Whoa, I'm beat!" Lavi exclaimed and stretched his arms above his head. I frowned at his openness— after hearing all the rumors about me, I thought no one would feel comfortable to be half naked around me.

The redhead looked at me, his eye showing no signs of distaste. The feeling I had had only moments ago was slowly fading and I could feel how my lips slowly, but surely turned upward.

"Aww, you look so cute when you smile." Lavi grinned, "Damn, if Yu'd know I'm here…" He trailed off and turned around while grabbing a pair of clean boxers from his bag. I wondered if he always carried his toothbrush and clean clothes with him. I absently stared at his backside, but unfortunately he caught me staring and winked his eye at me.

"I think you've got an admirer." Tyki nudged my side, "Do you want me to immobilize him too?"

"Ugh…"

-

Author's notes: Thank you for all your kind reviews! You guys make writing this stuff worthwhile.


	3. Actus Reus

**M**emento Mori

-

3. Actus Reus

The next morning I woke up with not only Tyki in my bed, but Lavi too. I was squished in between the two men, one of which was snoring right into my ear, while the other was staring intently at my face. I couldn't choose which was more disturbing.

And I believe that's when my life changed quite a bit. Instead of eating breakfast alone, I now had someone to cook my sunny side up eggs and someone to walk to school with. And with someone, I meant _a real person_, not some invisible grim reaper, who kept following me around.

Suddenly the situation had gone from awkward to troublesome. Yes, sure it was nice to have someone like Lavi around, but… when we arrived to school, I noticed how people stared at us, even though Lavi seemed completely oblivious to it. I told him about it and he had simply glanced his surroundings, before shrugging his shoulders and saying, "You are imagining things."

So I shrugged it off, too. _You're imagining things_. Right.

And as for all the classes before the lunch break, Lavi sat next to me, although I had never known he attended all the same classes as me. And this time, we even got past the 'hi, how are you?' phase and quietly chatted about the weather, the annoying teachers, TV, literature, and so on. The teachers gave us some long stares, but when they saw it was _me_, who Lavi was talking to, they didn't dare to say a word.

I occasionally looked at Tyki, who was sitting on my other side. He was smirking roguishly and I didn't even want him to share his thoughts.

But then came the lunch break.

I wondered where I should go, for there was no point in going to the gym when Kanda wasn't most likely to be there. But it had been such a long time, since I had spent my lunch hour in the school's cafeteria that it felt uncomfortable to even think of going there. Besides, _everyone_ was there…

"C'mon, let's go eat!" Lavi said happily and grabbed my elbow, "I'm starving!"

My resistance was futile, for he was a lot stronger than he seemed. Soon enough I was dragged into the cafeteria, which was filled with other hungry, blood-thirsty students.

I wasn't sure if I was just 'imagining things', as we walked inside and felt everyone looking in our direction.

"You don't come here often, do you?" Lavi asked with a heartfelt laugh.

"W-why'd you ask?" I stammered and stayed close to Tyki, even though he couldn't really give me any solace. I never used to have this kind of problem with crowded places.

Before Kanda came around, it was easy for me to socialize with people I had never talked with before. I knew I had changed, even though there was no one to point it out for me. Everyone I had managed to get to know suddenly left and even the person who knew me best was no longer here. _And it was all thanks to Kanda_.

"Get your head in the game." Lavi gently slapped the back of my head and pointed at my empty tray, "C'mon, you need to eat something."

I felt slightly flustered, when I started to pile food on my tray. I tried to hold back, but at the end of the line, I noticed how my tray contained almost thrice the amount of food Lavi's did.

"Wow, you have amazing appetite."

I blushed, "I know…"

At first I thought, and hoped, we would be eating lunch by ourselves. But that hope was lost soon, when Lavi seated himself in a table with tons of other students. Figures.

"Allen, c'mere!" Lavi pointed an empty place next to him. I hesitated for a moment, but when the redhead gave me an anticipating look, I sullenly accompanied him. He grinned happily, when he introduced me to his friends, "Hey guys, this little guy here is Allen. He let me stay in his room when Kanda was being jerk again."

Everyone surrounding the table froze, forgetting their lunches or abandoning their recent conversation. I kept my gaze averted, mentally cursing at my decision to follow Lavi.

"Oh, i-it's A-A-Allen Wa-walker…" A girl with dark curly hair said, sounding somewhat apologetic.

"It's okay Miranda, he's not gonna bite you!" Lavi patted my shoulder, chuckling awkwardly.

"Interesting." Said one of the boys sitting opposite side of me. As I looked up, I recognized him as the student council's president— Komui Lee. Next to him was sitting his sister, Lenalee Lee, who was kind of popular among the male students. On the other side of Komui sat his right-hand man and faithful friend Reever Wenham.

Before I met Kanda, I used to be on speaking terms with them. But then I screwed up, by choosing Kanda over them.

"I think I should leave…" I cleared my throat and stood up slowly. But Lavi quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me back to sitting position.

"Hey, what's with the long faces?" Lavi kept holding on to my hand and glanced between me and Komui.

"You're new here, you wouldn't know." Lenalee sighed and picked up the book she had dropped on the floor when she noticed me. She continued reading, or at least, tried to. I saw how her eyes were unable to concentrate on the text.

"Indeed." Komui fixed the position of his eyeglasses, "It's amazing though, how you haven't heard any rumors yet, Lavi."

"What?" Lavi looked puzzled, "About this guy?"

So he hadn't heard… and that's why he was being so friendly towards me. I should have known there was something wrong. I was too easily deceived, it seemed.

Lavi started to get impatient when everyone stayed silent, "Seriously, what happened?"

"It was unfortunate, but he made his choice." Reever explained seriously. He was more organized than Komui, but tactful he was not, "We warned him of Kanda Yu, but he didn't listen. Instead he walked straight into the trap and ended up on an amateur porn video, which soon was in the hands of every student. I thought you were acquaintance with Kanda? It's weird he didn't tell you— or show you the video."

"What?! Yu forced Allen do something like that?!" Lavi cried out loud and shook his head in distress.

"No. He didn't force me." I admitted. _I let him. And I loved each second of it._

"No. No way!" Lavi looked at me, "Yu isn't like that!"

"Isn't like what?" I asked bitterly and this time Lavi didn't stop me when I stood up. It was getting tiresome how they thought I was the one to be blamed, or it was me who had seduced Kanda. Suddenly shrouded by anger, I left my tray be, but grabbed my school bag, "A homo like me? Well, I'm sorry to ruin your idea of your dearest friend!"

"What the hell are you talking about, beansprout?"

I winced when I heard all too familiar voice behind me. I turned around and there he was— Kanda Yu. His injured leg was wrapped in plaster and he was propping his weight on crutches. He looked… well, horrible. It was as if he hadn't slept for ages and his bloodshot eyes were narrowed at me, but lacked the indignation they usually held.

I couldn't help but stare at his leg. I thought he would ditch the school for a while and take his time to recover.

"I'm telling the truth." I answered his question and looked him straight in the eye. My heart skipped a beat, when he clumsily took a step closer— he must have not been used to the crutches yet. But better those sticks than a wheelchair.

"Tch. You're fine one to talk about truth." He grumbled, "Spreading rumors of _you_ kicking _my_ ass? That's ridiculous."

I smiled inwardly. So he had heard to rumors... I lifted my chin and couldn't suppress a jeering snicker, "They don't seem to find it ridiculous. And besides, you can blame your jock friends for your ruined rep."

I could see how his dull eyes filled with anger. I liked those eyes better— even his skin seemed less ghostly. Even though Kanda was annoying, arguing with him didn't bother me at all. It was hard to describe, but whenever he looked at me with such passionate feeling in his eyes, I felt agitated yet turned on.

It was a play of cat and mouse, in which both were taunting one another.

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" Kanda's voice echoed in my ears and it was the only noise I could hear. I was sure the other students were talking about us by now, for they started to gather around us, probably expecting a fight. But I could only concentrate on Kanda and the way he looked down at me, when he came so close that I would have easily been able to pinch his nose.

"_Fight, fight, fight_!" The noise coming all around me was smothered by Kanda's voice. Everything and everyone else was unnecessary at that moment.

"If you want to settle the score so badly, go ahead. Give me your best shot. Show me— _show them_ that you actually have enough balls to do so." Kanda took a small step back and gestured at his face, "Or are you afraid, _beansprout_?"

He wanted me to punch him? Kanda Yu was allowing me to have a free hit at his face? He must have some ulterior motive, or maybe he just wanted a reason to punch me back.

But I didn't want to hit him. I liked the verbal abuse a lot more than this and besides, I had already broken his foot, even though I didn't consider that as revenge. I frowned at him and shook my head, "I don't punch people with disadvantages."

"You worthless little moron…" He dropped one of his crutches and grabbed my shoulder with his free hand, squeezing it so hard it almost hurt, "If _I_ hated you so much that I'd want to kill you, something like this wouldn't hold me back."

As I saw desperation in his eyes, my limbs grew weak. He looked so vulnerable, as though all of his defensive walls had been broken down and he was left with nothing, but this moment. Now that everything he had built around him was torn asunder, he wanted to be noticed and he needed to feel something, to feel _anything_.

…Or maybe I was simply over-analyzing him and he had only gone insane and wanted me to pound some sense into his head.

Suddenly someone pulled Kanda away from me, or perhaps, I was pulled away from him. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the principal standing right behind me, with a strict look on his face, which was directed to Kanda, "That's quite enough Kanda. Come with me, both of you."

And so I was dragged out of the cafeteria.

-

We sat in the principal's office, deep silence surrounding us. Kanda and I were seated in a comfortable couch, the distance between us maximized. The principal, Froi Tiedoll, was tapping his fingers against his wooden desk, regarding both of us, especially Kanda, with a weary look in his eyes.

"Please, do tell me what happened back there." Tiedoll asked after he had gotten enough of the oppressing silence. However, his question was mostly addressed to Kanda.

Of course he wouldn't question me. Heck, I could run around the school naked and draw upside down crosses on the walls and still get off the hook without a punishment. It was bothersome and I wished they would start to treat me as a normal person again.

I looked at Kanda, who was silently glaring at Tiedoll. He seemed as if he wasn't going to speak anytime soon, so I muttered quietly, "We were just talking…"

"Walker. You do not need to protect Kanda." Tiedoll said and cast me a brief glance and offered me a smile, "Let me handle this."

I sighed. I knew where 'let me handle this' ultimately led. It was unnecessary for Tiedoll to feel some urge to protect me, even though he thought he was doing the right thing. He thought that after all that's happened thus far, I'd become somehow unable to stand up for myself and I needed special treatment. It was frustrating.

Kanda snorted and folded his arms above his chest. I think he understood he was in lose-lose situation, even though he had practically done nothing wrong. And it was no surprise— the teachers and especially the principal seemed to think that even a brief glance from Kanda directed at me was punishable.

Tiedoll rubbed his knuckles and explained tiredly, "Kanda Yu. You are aware that we are keeping an eye on you. We have kind asked you to keep your distance from Walker, but you shamelessly disregard our advice."

"Tch." Kanda started to get even angrier, "Don't act like you're some fucking god of this school."

I could see a vein twitching in Tiedoll's forehead, "I'm no god, but I do know what's best for Walker." It was my turn to snort, albeit quietly. I could feel Kanda casting me a fleeting glance, before Tiedoll spoke again, "Since you are already unable to participate in basketball activities and expelling you would be too harsh, I'll give you one week detention."

_Detention?_ I felt slightly amused. I thought we were in college, not in high school…

"Detention…?" Kanda repeated with disbelief, as amused as I was.

"It doesn't matter whether it was a fight or not. It is in Walker's best interest if you stayed away from him." Tiedoll stood up and walked to his office's door, which he opened and motioned us to leave, "Now get out."

I stood up with Kanda, who looked like he could punch a baby. I knew that he wasn't pissed because of the detention, but the fact that he was being punished over nothing.

"Walker, you stay." Tiedoll stopped me from leaving and loudly shut the door behind Kanda's back. He returned to his seat and gestured me to sit back down as well. As I hesitantly complied and he seemed satisfied, "I see there is still tension between you and Kanda. Are you alright?"

"Of course I am— nothing happened. Giving him detention was completely unnecessary." I tried to clarify, but he didn't seem to buy it.

"You know I cannot ignore things such as these, no matter how unimportant it seems to you." Tiedoll got up to his feet and walked to the enormous window, framed by deep red curtains. He put his hands in his pockets and looked outside, "It's my responsibility as a principal and as your unofficial caretaker."

_Oh no, not this subject again_, I winced inwardly and pressed myself against the couch. He must have practiced this specific speech in front of a mirror, until it became so ceremonious that it lacked any sort of sympathy. He spoke of academic facts and how he knew how I felt, which made his compassion even more skin-deep. Had he actually cared, he would have truly looked at me and seen just why I felt so discriminated.

He inhaled a deep breath and from the look on his face, I could predict what he was about to say next, "Walker, when Mana died, I promised—…"

"Don't." I stood up and shook my head. It was pointless to talk about this and always come to the same conclusion— Mana Walker was dead and I supposedly wasn't alone, but always had Tiedoll on my side. It almost made me snicker, "Can I go now?"

Tiedoll frowned and after a short moment of silence, he nodded his head, "Alright. Take care."

I didn't reply, as I simply paced out of the room and didn't bother to look back. I could feel his gaze upon me until I exited the room and came to the principal's waiting room. Tyki, who had obediently waited outside, was leaning against the wall and smirking at me.

I was about to cuss at him for being too cheerful, but then I heard Lavi's voice.

"…you can tell me. Aren't we buddies, Yu?"

"Hell no. And stay the fuck away from beansprout, he's none of your business."

"Yu…!"

I watched as Lavi's shoulders slumped when Kanda departed the room, stomping his crutches against the wooden floor with such force that it left marks on the surface. I certainly hadn't imagined them to be friends, even though Lavi had mentioned it the previous day…

Suddenly the redhead noticed me and his expression brightened in an instant, "Hey, beansproutie! Yu's got a crutch shoved up his arse it seems."

"As always." I laughed, "Why are you here? The classes have already started."

Lavi walked to me and patted my shoulder affectionately, "I know, but I wanted to come check up on you guys." I looked up at his smiling face, which gradually grew serious again, "And I wanted to correct something I said before."

"What is it?"

I thought he would ask me about the incident he heard of in the cafeteria, but instead he said, "When I said earlier that 'Yu isn't like that', I didn't mean his sexual orientation. I mean, heck, I'm glad he has one, I thought he was totally sexually retarded."

"Well… I'm not sure about that…" I stated awkwardly, "… His so-called 'affection' toward me was a prank after all."

Lavi took a hold of my chin as I tried to look away from him. He stared at me with his one visible eye, while holding fast on my shoulder and jaw, "Kanda Yu is a moronic anti-social retard, but he's not a plotter. He doesn't even care about giving an old lady his seat in a metro, so why would he care about ruining your life?"

It wasn't as if I would have known. But it didn't matter what Lavi said, what's done is done. And it's not like my life sucked only because of Kanda, for that would have been sad.

"Lavi…" I shook my head. And in the end, it didn't matter what Lavi thought about Kanda. I was a walking proof of what Kanda Yu was truly capable of, "Just forget it, alright?"

"But Allen—…"

I pressed my palm against his lips and gave him a smile. I committed his words to my memory, but at that time, I didn't really bother to care.

-

"You are troubled."

"Yes, Sherlock, I am troubled." I sighed when I stuffed my books back to my bag. I didn't bother to hide talking to Tyki, since everyone was in such a hurry to leave the school after the bell had rung, "That stupid Kanda…"

"What do you want me to do?" Tyki asked and leaned against my desk.

"You are not going to do anything." I gritted my teeth and when I was ready to leave, the classroom was already empty. I sighed and said something I probably shouldn't have said, "Things could be easier if you were a real person, someone everyone could see…"

"You wish me to be visible for everyone?"

I shrugged my shoulders and sat down on my desk, "I don't know. Do you want to be?"

"I take that as an affirmative reply." Tyki beamed and moved in front of me. Out of the blue, he pushed my back against the desk and hovered above me, "I'm positive we both will enjoy the consequences of this decision."

I lied there silently, when he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. At first I thought he was kissing me, but he wasn't. It was more like… sucking. As I opened my mouth, he sucked in a deep breath, stealing the air from my lungs. It felt like someone had punched you in stomach and emptied the oxygen inside of you— not necessarily what you would call a pleasurable experience.

When he pulled away and put a slight distance between our faces, I pushed him away roughly and gasped for air. I fell on my knees on the floor, breathing in and out, "What the… heck… was that?"

"Dear Allen, some things cannot be created out of nothing." Tyki stroked my back and neck, "It'll take me awhile to change. I believe that by tomorrow morning I'll be flesh and bone."

Tyki helped me to stand up, supporting me by holding his hand around my waist. By then I had managed to catch my breath, but I still felt a little dizzy, "Wow… you literally stole my breath. Is there still something you need?"

"Is there something you want to give me?" He cooed.

"You're disgusting." I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bag, professionally detaching myself from Tyki.

I walked determinedly out of the classroom and down a deserted hallway. That's when I noticed how I could only hear my footsteps, not Tyki's. As I turned to look at him, I saw he had no shadow either. So he really wasn't a 'real' person now. But how would everyone react to him when they saw him? He did look a little different than the others.

After contemplating, I became sure everyone would like him. He was very charismatic, and despite the fact that he looked different, he was handsome. I could already see a mental image of avid Tyki fangirls in tiny mini-skirts and 'IheartTyki'-T-shirts.

"I feel that you are starting to feel some sort of affection towards me." Tyki reported plainly, "But alas, I'll forever be the number two."

I became flustered, but kept my cool, "Dream on."

We walked past a classroom and I absently looked in through the small window on the door. I was surprised to see Kanda sitting alone there, staring blankly to the emptiness in front of him. He seemed to be deep in his thoughts and oddly, I wanted to know what he was thinking. I knew I could ask Tyki to read his mind, but it would have felt uncomfortable.

"Detention, huh?" I stopped walking and stared at the door, suddenly feeling a pressing urge to stay, "He actually attended it…"

Everyone's attitudes toward both of us since the video incident were at odds. I was blamed, yet pitied, while Kanda was honored, but punished. People looked down on me, but up to Kanda.

But now we were equal, even if no one saw it. We both had hit the bottom, where the only direction was upward.

So, as equals, I figured I should take my part of the blame. I walked to the classroom door and without knocking, I walked in.

The teacher sitting by her desk looked up and arched her eyebrow, "Allen Walker? Whatever do you need?"

"I…" I swallowed, feeling rather stupid for voluntarily going to detention, "I'm here for detention. The principal sent me here…" The teacher seemed even more dumb-found and since she didn't seem to buy my lie, I explained further, "We got into an argument with Kanda and I almost hit him."

"I see." She seemed surprised, shocked even, and motioned me to sit down.

So I sat next to Kanda. I felt his intense gaze upon me and I heard how he held his breath in for a moment, before letting it out as a long gust. I wasn't sure if he was angry or surprised, or little bit of both.

It could be because of what Lavi said earlier, but suddenly I wanted to get to know him even better. I knew reasons behind actions didn't really make up for the things that were already lost, but being bitchy didn't repair anything either.

It would have been easier if I could have settled down and simply dwelled in my hate for Kanda. But in order to hate him so truly and deeply, I would need to forget everything we had before the things went bad. He had pulled one nasty prank and I had ungracefully fallen for it, all too easily. When I saw him, I wish I would have only seen a deceitful person, someone with whom I had nothing in common.

But instead I saw the person I fell in love with, only shrouded in unpleasant atmosphere. He looked exactly the same as he used to and I knew that in inside and outside, he hadn't really changed at all.

I wondered what he saw when he looked at me. Did he see me as an easily deceived idiot or was there something more? Sometimes I was sure he loathed me, but then again there was something about him I couldn't quite put my finger on.

And I was thinking too much again… I had only less than a week to live and here I was, wasting my time here on Kanda Yu. If this wasn't ironic, then I didn't know what was.

So I sat there next to Kanda the whole detention in unbreakable silence, and like always, we were stealing glances of each other while thinking the other one wasn't looking.

-

A/N: I bought Silent Hill 4 the other day and I'm already turning into a Walter/Henry fangirl (I'm still at the beginning of the game, so please, no spoilers). The game itself isn't as scary as SH2, but I kinda like the story so far (and the characters). But anyhow, enough with the SH rant! Thank you for reading and reviewing dears. Stay tuned!


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